Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (8/90)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

advantage nor benefit of any kind, whether immediate or future, acts purposelessly and deserves no praise for it. You explained His acts in terms of purposes to avoid purposelessness, yet you fell into purposelessness yourselves. For a purposeless act is one that brings its doer no advantage, benefit, or gain. For this reason, neither Allah Most High, nor His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), nor any rational person has enjoined anyone to do good to others, benefit them, or the like, except because of the benefit and advantage this brings to the doer. Otherwise, enjoining someone to perform an act that brings him no pleasure, happiness, benefit, or joy whatsoever, either immediately or in the future, is not commendable on the part of the one issuing the command.

This discussion gave rise to a dispute among the Mu‘tazilah, others, and those who agreed with them over “the rational discernment of moral goodness and badness.” The Mu‘tazilah and others affirmed this, as did those who agreed with them among the followers of Abū Hanīfah, Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, and Ahmad, as well as scholars of hadith and others. They also attributed this position to Abū Hanīfah himself. The Ash‘arīs denied it, as did those who agreed with them among the followers of Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, Ahmad, and others.

Both sides agreed that, when goodness is understood as an act’s being beneficial and congenial to its doer, and badness as its being harmful and uncongenial to him, these can be known through reason as well as through revealed law. Some among them supposed that the goodness and badness known through revealed law fall outside this meaning. This is not so. Rather, all the acts that Allah Most High has made obligatory or recommended are beneficial to those who perform them and serve their welfare. All the acts that Allah has forbidden are harmful to those who perform them and detrimental to their welfare. The praise and reward resulting from obedience to the Lawgiver benefit the doer and serve his welfare, while the blame and punishment resulting from disobedience to Him harm the doer and are detrimental to his welfare.

مَصْلَحَةٌ وَلَا مَنْفَعَةٌ بِوَجْهِ مِنْ الْوُجُوهِ لَا عَاجِلَةٌ وَلَا آجِلَةٌ كَانَ عَابِثًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مَحْمُودًا عَلَى هَذَا وَأَنْتُمْ عَلَّلْتُمْ أَفْعَالَهُ فِرَارًا مِنْ الْعَبَثِ فَوَقَعْتُمْ فِي الْعَبَثِ؛ فَإِنَّ الْعَبَثَ هُوَ الْفِعْلُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ فِيهِ مَصْلَحَةٌ وَلَا مَنْفَعَةٌ وَلَا فَائِدَةٌ تَعُودُ عَلَى الْفَاعِلِ؛ وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَأْمُرْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَلَا رَسُولُهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ الْعُقَلَاءِ أَحَدًا بِالْإِحْسَانِ إلَى غَيْرِهِ وَنَفْعِهِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ إلَّا لِمَا لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْمَنْفَعَةِ وَالْمَصْلَحَةِ وَإِلَّا فَأَمْرُ الْفَاعِلِ بِفِعْلِ لَا يَعُودُ إلَيْهِ مِنْهُ لَذَّةٌ وَلَا سُرُورٌ وَلَا مَنْفَعَةٌ وَلَا فَرَحٌ بِوَجْهِ مِنْ الْوُجُوهِ لَا فِي الْعَاجِلِ وَلَا فِي الْآجِلِ لَا يُسْتَحْسَنُ مِنْ الْآمِرِ. وَنَشَأَ مِنْ هَذَا الْكَلَامِ نِزَاعٌ بَيْنَ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ فِي " مَسْأَلَةِ التَّحْسِينِ وَالتَّقْبِيحِ الْعَقْلِيِّ " فَأَثْبَتَ ذَلِكَ الْمُعْتَزِلَةُ وَغَيْرُهُمْ وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَمَالِكٍ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ وَأَحْمَدَ وَأَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ وَحَكَوْا ذَلِكَ عَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ نَفْسِهِ وَنَفَى ذَلِكَ الْأَشْعَرِيَّةُ وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ مَالِكٍ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ وَأَحْمَدَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ وَاتَّفَقَ الْفَرِيقَانِ عَلَى أَنَّ الْحُسْنَ وَالْقُبْحَ إذَا فُسِّرَا بِكَوْنِ الْفِعْلِ نَافِعًا لِلْفَاعِلِ مُلَائِمًا لَهُ وَكَوْنِهِ ضَارًّا لِلْفَاعِلِ مُنَافِرًا لَهُ أَنَّهُ يُمْكِنُ مَعْرِفَتُهُ بِالْعَقْلِ كَمَا يُعْرَفُ بِالشَّرْعِ وَظَنَّ مَنْ ظَنَّ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ أَنَّ الْحُسْنَ وَالْقُبْحَ الْمَعْلُومَ بِالشَّرْعِ خَارِجٌ عَنْ هَذَا وَهَذَا لَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ بَلْ جَمِيعُ الْأَفْعَالِ الَّتِي أَوْجَبَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَنَدَبَ إلَيْهَا هِيَ نَافِعَةٌ لِفَاعِلِيهَا وَمَصْلَحَةٌ لَهُمْ. وَجَمِيعُ الْأَفْعَالِ الَّتِي نَهَى اللَّهُ عَنْهَا هِيَ ضَارَّةٌ لِفَاعِلِيهَا وَمَفْسَدَةٌ فِي حَقِّهِمْ وَالْحَمْدُ وَالثَّوَابُ الْمُتَرَتِّبُ عَلَى طَاعَةِ الشَّارِعِ نَافِعٌ لِلْفَاعِلِ وَمَصْلَحَةٌ لَهُ وَالذَّمُّ وَالْعِقَابُ الْمُتَرَتِّبُ عَلَى مَعْصِيَتِهِ ضَارٌّ لِلْفَاعِلِ وَمَفْسَدَةٌ لَهُ.